Maldonado to continue with Lotus in 2015

As Lotus firms up its plans for 2015, Romain Grosjean’s future is looking clouded.

It was already known that, when Pastor Maldonado and his lucrative backer PDVSA switched from Williams to Lotus for the 2014 season, it was the beginning of more than a single-year deal. “I don’t want to give too much away,” the Enstone team’s owner Gerard Lopez said late on Saturday, “but as it’s halfway through the season I can confirm 50 per cent of our driver lineup for 2015 as Pastor is with us for next year.”

That is despite the fact the Venezuelan has yet to score a single point in a black and gold car, while teammate Grosjean has eight in his account. On Maldonado, Lopez continued: “Despite the difficulties we’ve had so far this season, he recognises our true potential as a team and we recognise his true potential as a driver. We will achieve great things together.”

In total contrast, Grosjean’s future is uncertain. We reported recently that the Frenchman might struggle to hang onto the seat for 2015. His manager, Eric Boullier, is now the boss at McLaren, and it is expected that the strongly Grosjean-linked Renault and Total will not be part of the Lotus package beyond this season. “I’ve been here for a little bit,” the 28-year-old said earlier in July, “and I know the team very well, but I want to win races as well, so things are open.”

In a much more comfortable situation than Grosjean is Williams’ Valtteri Bottas, who is riding a wave of form and sure to remain with the Grove team in 2015. “He looks at the moment like he is a future world champion,” Williams deputy boss Claire Williams told the Guardian. Bottas agreed: “As a team, we are on the right road -– that’s the goal of us together, to be world champion one day, and it would be really great to achieve it at Williams.”